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Category Archives: Creative Media Practice

The 10 minute short film panned out as an interesting result, we set ourselves the task to create a ‘docufiction’ illustrating the lifestyle of a hardcore video game addict.
From the beginning, everyone in the group all had around the same similar strengths for our industry. Throughout the project we couldn’t really pinpoint who was going to do what, until the first person came to actually doing it. In one of our meetings we all discussed this idea for a video game addiction film; all of us input equal ideas for the project. However Blane was particularly keen to get on and write the script and storyline, the final film result came to be an odd but pleasing stylised piece.

I thought the project was a little un-organized but it definitely brought to me a better understanding of how things should be done. I thought the idea for sharing the roles was a nice idea but I felt it didn’t really work as because after a while everyone became acquainted in what they had the most experience with. Joe was particularly good at filming as he had the most time using the camera, and also took a large share of the editing process therefore he had more experience so he could of just done all of it, In order to keep with continuity and editing styles.

Personally I felt I could have done much more within this project. My weakness became the other module I was working on. Two of my group members left the ‘integrated project’ module, so it had taken up so much of my time as I did the majority of it. I know from doing this project I have learnt a huge amount about technical things such as lighting and filming, depth of field was one thing I had wanted to practice and really understand for ages.

I thought my strengths within this group were that I considered so many possibilities and spotted problems before they happened, such as lighting, storyline, and keeping things original etc. I’m good at thinking outside the box. I definitely would try working in a group again but in future I would make sure things get done quicker and in the right order to save confusion.

My ability to work in groups is fine, I just wish I had more knowledge and control over the project. Usually I tend to find myself better at working alone. I also was responsible for the odd things like filming at my flat and acting alongside Blane. When it came to drawing the storyboards, I knew I would possibly be the right person for the job; I seemed to have the most skill for drawing in the group, even for rough sketches. I also did not know a useful website like Parashoot existed before doing this module; I will definitely be using this in future, its the small steps like these that helped me better understand the industry.

The first scene opens with a clip from the Skyrim E3 trailer. Halfway through the clip cuts to a shot of someone’s room. The cameras pans slowly across the somewhat messy room, fairly littered with rubbish and games posters on the walls. The camera continues to pan until it reaches the sight of a 19 year old boy, staring at his screen. He gets ready for the end and shouts -FUS RO DAH- along with the trailer…

EXT.STREET.DAY

There is a flash cut of him also doing this in public to show how his mind is always in another world. He finally comes back to reality and looks around as if he is lost. Then a frown crosses along his face and he looks to the ground. Shortly after, the title of the short film appears.

scene 2: int.bedroom.day/night

We find the boy (let’s call him Leon) speaking to his online friends/teammates via Steam. He appears confident and calm as communicates to his internet friends. All conversation via Steam

LEON:

Hey man, that was a sick match we had.

tonton:

Definately. You’re a preety good team leader.

leon:

Thanks.

TOnTON:

It’s cool. You got game.

Leon is chuffed at the comment he got from Tonton. Then conversation continues shortly after.

TONTON:

So mate, I was thinking. There’s this competition in about a month, best team wins £10,000 between them.

leon:

Sick!

TONTON:

Yeah, we could use someone like you. We should meet up at some soon, like this weekend.

Leon’s slight smile all the sudden turns to a nervous pout as the words “Meet Up?” play in his mind. He turns away from his computer…

EXT.street.day

Another flash cut ensues as he turns around in the street to find two people having a conversation. He observes there movements, facial expressions but nothing registers in his head. He starts to look tense, his eyes blinking fast, he hands are shaking. Leon then turns away from the two…

INT.BEDROOM.DAY/NIGHT

Another flash cut ensues and Leon turns back to his computer, he pauses for a moment and then types…

leon:

I’m visiting my grandparents this weekend so I can’t man.

tonton:

Ah, fair game mate. Another time?

LEON:

Yeah sure.

Leon logs out, takes in a deep breath and then starts to look drained. The scene then cuts to black.

scene 3: int. room. day/night

We find Leon playing Warzone on his computer. As usual he’s doing abnormally well in his game,showing extreme concentration in his play.

ext. city centre. day.

Another Flash cut of himself in the city center, sitting on a bench. We find Leon, making a gun shape with his hand. “shooting” at something.

INT.BEDROOM.DAY/NIGHT

We flash cut back to Leon playing his game. He concentration reaches a new level. It’s get to the point where he actually starts seeing himself in the game.

ext. city centre. day

We flash cut back to the scene where Leon is “shooting his gun”. We find that he is actually make believe shooting at pedestrians. This is this show his further plunge into social isolation.

int. bedroom. day/night.

We jump back to the scene where Leon is playing his game. Everything is getting more intense, when all of the sudden, he loses. He appears stunned, barely moving and then we cut to black.

scene 4: ext. city centre. day.

The scene starts with Leon walking along the streets of his home city in a lost state. Throughout out this part of the scene several of the shots will be using a forced perspective to make the buildings look bigger to impose him.

As he continues forward, he comes across a closed game store. For a while he just stands there and looks foward. After a while, two boys who shown previously in the film show up beside him. Leon, who is nervous at first. Decides to break the silence.

LEON:

Uh, hi.

TOM AND GEOFF:

Yo what’s up?

leon:

So what brings you guys here?

Geoff:

We were gonna pick up the new Warzone game but as you can see…

LEON:

You play Warzone too? My ranks general on it.

geoff:

Nice man. My user name is Tonton.

leon:

Wait, the Corporal Rank Tonton?

geoff:

Yeah man.

LEON:

I’m Lonewolf, the guy you were speaking playing with the other day.

geoff:

(Smiling)Awesome, so we finally meet in person. Well, since here is closed, we’re gonna head back to mine and chill. Wanna come with? Leon has a slight pause in shock thinking in the back of his head with joy that people actually want to be friends with him. He agrees and heads off with them. As he leaves. He takes one look back at the game shop and then continues with them

Shot 5 – Close up shot of Leon looking chuffed at Tonton’s comment. Halfway through the shot the conversation picks again:

Shot 6 – Back to shots of computer monitor chat windows

Shot 7 – Leon’s grin then turns to a nervous pout as soon as Tonton proposes a meet up, Leon turns away from his computer

Shot 8 – The next shot is a match cut to Leon turning around. The angle is a mid shot placed behind him looking over to two people talking to one another. After this shot, several close up shots are used on the two’s hands, eyes and facial expression.

Shot 9 – Low angle shot of through the main characters legs as he approaches the two people

Shot 10 – We have an extreme close up of Leon’s eyes looking blank as nothing seems to register, he starts to look tense and then turns away.

Shot 11 – Close up of nervous hand gestures

Shot 12 – We have another match edit where he turns back to his computer. He pauses and then continues the conversation

Shot 13 – Close up of Leon logging out and then taking a deep breath

Shot 14- Close up shot of character putting face in hands looking stressed

Shot 15 – Camera then goes behind him and pans away and fades to black

SCENE 3

Shooting in Geoff’s room and outside in park

Shot 1 – Shot of main character really involved in game – Medium shot from behind – Fades in from blackness.

Shot 2 – Shot of main character using mouse and keyboard – Depth of field shots of mouse and keyboard

Shot 3 – Shot of main characters eyes, really focussed on the game – Extreme close up

Shot 4 – Shot of character biting lip in concentration – extreme close up

[Scene changes from inside to outside]

Shot 5 – Graphic match of same close up of eyes, camera then zooms out to show he is now sat on a bench in the city – Extreme close up, zooms out, medium shot

Shot 8 – Shot from behind the bench showing main character pretending to shoot passers by – medium high angle shot.

[Scene changes from outside to inside]

Shot 9 – Close up of character shaking his head in confusion at the flashback he just had. He then shrugs it off and continues playing.

Shot 10 – Shot of characters eyes really focussing – extreme close up

Shot 11 – Shot of character from behind as he loses game – medium shot

Shot 12 – Shot of screen saying something like “game over” – close up

Shot 13 – Close up of characters face, looking shocked

Shot 14 – Shot of character putting hands behind head and leaning back looking stressed – shot from side angle – medium close up.

Shot 15 – Medium close up of character slamming fist down on table in anger. The bang triggers a cut to the next scene

SCENE 4

Shooting Outside university

Shot 1 – Close up shot of the side of Leon’s face as he walks across the street.

Shot 2 – Extreme Long shot of Leon walking up the hill towards City Campus

Shot 3 – Long Shot of Leon walking through the millennium art museum

Shot 4 – Mid shot of Leon being imposed by Buildings

Shot 5 – Long shot of Leon coming across the closed game store.

Shot 6 – Mid shot showing closed store

Shot 7 – Close up of Leon looking up at the store.

Shot 8 -Verted shot of Leon and Geoff and looking at the store

Shot 9 – From Leon’s left side. A mid shot angle showing Geoff in the foreground, he appears nervous at first and the breaks the silence. From this several reverse shots ensue in regards to which character is talking.

Well i must say Lighting was always a weakness of mine, so glad we did this. I just think because ive never tried it before i feared it. I do wonder however, when compositing a 3D model into a scene that is lit interestingly with coloured gels and such… how would you replicate that lighting in a 3D program, im guessing you’d do it manually by placing Computer generated Lights in the scene corrisponding to where they were in real life but its got to be tricky. Or you could get a Spherical image if the 3D object has reflections to create a HDRI, but then the lighting rig would be in the image hmmm.

On another note anyway, it looks like we figured our group out now. Me (Geoff), Blane, Joe, Tom and Craig.

Ive had a few random visions of what we are going to make, when using lighting.

Righto the cameras we used today were cool i guess, the only thing i didnt like was that when you filmed in 16:9 it would stretch to fit the 4:3 display screen on the camera and i found that a tad disorientating when trying to frame stuff nice.

Oh well, good lesson anyway… i gotta try experiment with all the settings alot more someday. I was wondering whether you could increase the filming framerate on the XM2’s because that would be sooo cool to get some slow motion in our film.

When we went out to practice using the camera’s i somehow regret not making a short news sketch. If me and Tom did make it, we would of faked a live avalanche because of the snow being everywhere at the time using a bit of forced perspective.

Ok so we’ve got to make a 10 minuite movie that shows off more advanced camera techniques and lighting and such. Also using computer visual effects is permitted 😥

So far all i can say is we dont have an idea yet, but to be honest im not really looking forward to using final cut pro and mac’s for editing… well i cant be picky in this industry anyway so bring it on.